The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Grammy awards - When a lot of people consider Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes up, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is actually taking care of with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people around the oasis for years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing number of artists have abandoned the party area for several cultural and artistic influences. Today, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum of the Caribbean and South America, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Chris Botti - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part within the expansion of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles such as the festejo and landó in to the style as well a far more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has evolved a unique approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only recently been that artists have convey a distinct emphasis upon the idea of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez has utilized his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs like a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be recognized for it's passionate tango, and several musicians have discovered this music is a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has generated a distinct language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler has continued the work of influential composer Astor Piazzolla using a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often take into account the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim after they think about the mixture of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, however the style has exploded into something much more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has generated upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and created a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the liberty behind a fresh York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Chris Botti - The oasis is certainly still an integral part of Latin Jazz - just hear the background music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for any healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design and style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a far more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a more diverse experience.